Turning Tides
by Furi Iki
Summary: Snippets of Sango and Inuyasha with oneshots written to Maroon 5's Songs About Jane inbetween each chapter. Confusing? You'll get it when you read it.
1. Six

When Sango was six, she met a boy.

* * *

He was evil. She was sure of it. She just knew he had to be; it was all in his eyes, all in the way he stared at her. They were narrowed and focused solely on her, causing her to squirm uncomfortably. He hadn't even blinked yet. Only an evil person could do that.

She sighed, turning to look out of the window. She'd just have to ignore him. Maybe if she did it long enough, he'd really disappear. After about ten minutes of that, she glanced at him to see he was still glaring at her unwaveringly. She frowned.

"What are you looking at, boy?" she snapped at him. He didn't miss a beat.

"What are you doing here, girl?" he sneered at her. Her brown eyes grew wide with shock. She hadn't expected a response. She composed herself, turning to give him her full attention.

"My mommy brought me here so she could talk to your mommy. And my name is Sango, _boy_," she told him smartly. He scoffed, crossing tiny arms over his chest.

"I don't care what your name is, _girl_. I just don't wanna' see your ugly face in my room," he replied. She gasped in an insulted manner.

"I'm **not** ugly," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. He smirked smugly at her.

"Sure you are. All girls are. And don't touch my stuff. All girls got cooties, too, and I don't wanna' catch them from you. As a matter of fact, get off my bed. I'll probably have to clean it now…" he told her.

She hopped from his bed obediently, smoothing out her skirt before she looked back up at him. She scrunched her face confusedly, the bridge of her button nose wrinkling cutely.

"Cooties? What are those?" she asked dumbly. He looked at her as if she were crazy.

"You don't know what cooties are?" he asked her. She shook her head, her long brown pigtails swaying to and fro. He sighed, rolling his honey-colored eyes into his head.

"I knew you were stupid," he mumbled. She opened her mouth to respond, but he continued.

"Cooties are little germs that all girls have that make them all dumb and weak and stuff," he told her. She looked at him inquisitively for a moment before she spoke.

"If all girls have them, then why are you afraid of them?" she asked him slowly. He frowned at her.

"I ain't afraid of them," he snapped indignantly, "and boys can catch them from girls. But we only get them for a day. Girls got them for the rest of their lives."

"Does your mom have them?" she asked him curiously.

"No!" he replied quickly. Then he grinned mischievously, "But your mom does."

Sango gasped, then shook her head furiously.

"No, she doesn't! My mama's smart and strong!" she protested. The boy shrugged uncaringly, picking up one of his model airplanes from his bedside table and examining it.

"So? When she gets older, her brains are gonna' rot and fall out of her ears," he told her nonchalantly. Sango gasped, raising a hand to her mouth to chew her fingertips worriedly.

"It's true. Have you ever seen her dig in her ears with one of those white sticks?" he said, looking up from his model. She nodded slowly. He went back to his plane.

"Yep. They're already rottin'. She's gonna' die soon. Probably… tomorrow," he said.

The room fell into silence then, save for a few swear words coming from the evil boy when he messed something up on his plane. Then he froze, having smelled the tears before he looked up and saw them filling her large eyes. His ears drooped and his shoulders sagged; he knew what was coming next.

"Oh no…" he mumbled.

And then they started. They began as whimpers, her bottom lip trembling as a small tear rolled down her cheek. Then she began to wail, loud and long. His ears flattened to the top of his head and his shoulders hunched. He dropped his model on his bed as he hopped down and hurried over to her. He shook his hands in front of her frantically, attempting to calm her down.

"Shh! Shh, shut up, girl!" he whispered to her. She hollered even louder, and he began to hop from foot to foot worriedly. If he didn't get the stupid girl to shut up, he was in for it.

"My name is Sango!" she screamed with a stomp of her foot before she began wailing again.

"Okay, okay **Sango**! Shut up 'cause your mama ain't gonna' die! I was just pickin' atya'!" he said to her. Her screams died down to sniffles as she rubbed her eye with her tiny fist.

"She's not…?" she asked him hesitantly. He huffed, crossing his arms as his ear swiveled atop his head in an annoyed manner.

"I said she ain't, didn't I? Ain't nobody ever died from cooties," he said groggily. Sango stared at him for a moment, then became angry.

"Then why did you say that?" she hollered at him, reaching her tiny fist out to bop him atop his head.

"Ow!" he shrieked, rubbing the growing lump. "Why, you…"

"Inuyasha! What's going on up there?" he heard his mother shout. Then he heard two sets of footsteps. Quickly, he glared at Sango.

"I'm gonna' climb through your window and eat you for that," he told her through clenched teeth.

He snatched a book from his desk then grabbed her hand and sat on the floor, yanking her to sit down next to him. He cracked the book open just as his bedroom door opened. Both his and Sango's mothers peered in suspiciously.

"What's going on in here?" his mother asked him. He looked up from the book he was pretending to read and tossed his long bangs from his face.

"Hm? Oh, hi mommy and Miss Sango's Mom. I was just about to read to Sango," he said, smiling brightly. Sango blinked at him. The mothers exchanged glances.

"What was all that screaming we heard, then…?" his mother asked slowly.

"Sango was doing the part for Little Red Riding Hood. It's the book we're reading," he told them casually.

"Oh," she responded, "Just be careful, okay? We're right downstairs if you need us."

"Actually, it's about time for us to go, Mrs. Taisho," said Sango's mother as she lifted her arm to look down at her wristwatch. Inuyasha frowned. He stood up and walked over to them, straining his neck to look up at them.

"Aw, can't Sango stay just for a little longer, Miss Sango's Mom?" he whined falsely. He didn't really want her to stay; he just didn't want them to be suspicious. She smiled down at him and then kneeled down to his eye level. She reached out and held one of his tiny hands.

"I'll tell you what: You can walk Sango to her bus stop tomorrow morning. Okay?" she told him brightly.

In his position, Inuyasha got a perfect view of her face. Her soft brown eyes were large and round, and inflected with speckles of green. Her hair was long and sandy brown, the sleek, silky strands framing her face angelically. Her teeth were smooth and white, and her rosy, pink lips were full, making for the perfect smile. She was gorgeous.

"Inuyasha?" she inquired, "Is that okay with you?" Inuyasha blushed, having been caught staring at the stupid little girl's mother.

"Y-yeah, it's alright with me," he told her meekly. She nodded then stood, ruffling the top of his silvery mane. Then she looked at her daughter and held her hand out.

"Come, Sango. It's time to go. I have a doctor's appointment to get ready for, remember?" she asked her.

Sango rose and then nodded as she smoothed out her skirt once more. She trotted over to her mother and grasped her hand, smiling cutely at her.

"Yes mama, I remember. You have a baby in your tummy," she replied mirthfully.

"It was very nice having you, Ms. Tsukimoto. Perhaps next time, Inuyasha and I will visit your home, hm?" Mrs. Taisho laughed. His lips pursed as he glanced up at his mother, his stomach twisting in knots at just the thought of being in such a cootie infested place.

"That would be wonderful, Mrs. Taisho! This weekend, perhaps?" she responded excitedly. Mrs. Taisho nodded.

"Of course! I have no plans. Sounds like a date to us, huh, Inu?" she laughed as she looked down at her son. He merely shrugged. If he disagreed with her about company in front of company, he'd surely get a spanking later on.

"Come on. We'll see you to the door, " his mother told Ms. Tsukimoto. The children followed their parents down the stairs diligently, not saying a word as they listened to the idle chat. As they reached the front door, Inuyasha tugged on his mother's hand.

"Can I give Sango a hug, Ma?" he asked her sweetly.

She looked at her son in surprise. Beside herself, he had never been one to give another person physical contact. Catching her gaping jaw, she nodded, watching in wonderment as he let go of her hand and went to embrace Sango, who went deathly still in his arms.

"Aww!" exclaimed Ms. Tsukimoto, clasping her hands together adoringly. "Isn't that cute?"

Sango, on the other hand, didn't quite share the same sentiments. She just **knew** he was up to something. And she was right. As he leaned over to wrap his arms around her small form, he growled so that only the two of them could hear.

"Sleep with one eye open."

Then he withdrew from her, a devilish smirk on his face. He smirk grew into a fanged grin as he watched her tiny mouth tighten into a thin line, her small, girly hands rounding out to make small, girly fists. He was sure if she were of demon decent her eyes would be shooting fire from the intensity burning in them. But he knew as long as they were in the presence of adults, she would say nothing.

After a few short goodbyes, Sango and her mother left and walked down the street to their home. For the remainder of the day, she thought about what the boy had told her.

Was he really going to eat her? He _was_ half demon; his mother had said so. Would he really come through her window, or would he eat her after school? Would he cook her, or would her eat her raw, like sushi?

By the end of the day, Sango had come up with one sure conclusion: He wouldn't get her without a fight.

That night, she slept with a sharpened pencil beneath her pillow. She stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, and as she finally drifted to sleep, one thought entered her mind.

That stupid boy was evil.


	2. Through With You

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the series used in any of these stories. I don't own any of the songs, either. They were all written by Maroon 5.

Summary: Inuyasha comes home to find his fiancé cheating on him. There are companion pieces to this one.

* * *

_Can you see me, floating above your head  
As you lay in bed  
Thinking about everything that you did not do  
Cause saying I love you  
Has nothing to do with meaning it_

_And I don't trust you  
Cause every time you're here  
Your intentions are unclear  
I spend every hour waiting for a phone call  
That I know will never come  
I used to think you were the one  
Now I'm sick of thinking anything at all_

_You ain't ever coming back to me  
That's not how things were supposed to be  
You take my hand just to give it back  
No other lover has ever done that _

Do you remember  
The way we used to melt  
Do you remember how it felt  
When I touched you  
Oh cause I remember very well

And how long has it been  
Since someone you let in  
Has given what I gave to you

And at night when you sleep  
Do you dream I would be there  
Just for a minute or two do you?

You ain't ever coming back to me  
That's not how things were supposed to be  
You take my hand just to give it back  
No other lover has ever done that

Heartache, heartache I just have so much  
A simple love with a complex touch  
There is nothing you can say or do  
I called to let you know I'm through with you

* * *

With her arms crossed and her face set in a frown, she stood in the doorway and watched him pack as if he couldn't get away from her fast enough. She opened her mouth to say something and found her throat was terribly parched. She closed it, swallowing to slake her throat. When she found her voice again, it was raspy and hoarse. 

"Where are you going?" she asked him quietly.

"You know where I'm going," was his terse reply. He didn't even spare her a glance as he continued to pack, stuffing a shirt into his duffel bag with all the anger he was feeling. She nodded.

"Of course," she laughed dryly, humorlessly. "I don't know why I asked. It's good that you have friends you can rely on like that." He barked out a bitter laugh.

"Yeah, seeing as I can't rely on anyone else," he replied.

Her frown deepened and she sighed, taking a step into the room. He stopped packing momentarily to shoot her a sharp glance, warning her to stay away. She got the hint and stepped back and he resumed packing once more.

"Inuyasha…" she murmured. He zipped up the bag and threw it across the room with the others, and she jumped when it hit the wall with an uncouth thud.

"Don't try to offer any explanations. You don't need to draw me any pictures. I know everything I need to know. I seen it with my own eyes, Kagome," he told her, his voice dangerously low. She shook her head slowly, her blue eyes wide and angelic as she clasped her hands together in front of her pleadingly.

"No, Inuyasha, you have to understand--"

"Understand what, Kagome? Understand that you were fucking that dirtbag in my own house while I was working? Understand that the one person I shoulda' been able to trust the most in this world turns out to be the one that stabs me in my damn back? I understand that just fine!" he hollered. She gasped, and then the tears were falling, sliding down her cheeks and leaving shimmering trails in their wake.

"No, it… it just… **happened**. It didn't mean anything. It was just… I was just… It happened in the spur of the moment. It meant nothing, Inuyasha. It meant **nothing**," she whispered, stepping into the room. He took a step back, putting distance between them. If she were to get close to him, he couldn't he held liable for his actions. And he was beyond pissed, but he did not want to hurt her.

"Don't come near me, wench. I ain't gonna' be responsible for hittin' no woman. God knows I'm pissed enough to do it, too," he told her. She bit her bottom lip in an effort to keep herself together, hugging herself around the waist as she shifted her weight to one foot.

"Well what do you want me to do…?" she sobbed quietly. Inuyasha shook his head slowly, his breathing hard and even as he stared at her with cold eyes. It was enough to send a tremor down her spine; he had never looked at her that way before. For the first time since she'd met him four years ago, she was frightened of him.

"I don't want anything from you. I should have listened to Kikyo when she told me you were no good for me," he seethed. She flinched visibly at his words. He shook his head slowly, picking up his bags and moving to leave the room only to find her blocking his path.

"Just get out of the way," he sighed irritably. She shook her head fiercely; her black tresses thrashing to and fro as she stubbornly stood her ground.

"No! No, Inuyasha! I know I've messed up bad this time, but I'm willing to work through it if you are! Nobody's perfect, and baby, if you'll let me, I'll--"

"I said, **move**!" he shouted as he pushed past her and out of the room. But she wouldn't let him go so easily. She followed him throughout the house pleading her case. When he made it to the front door, she latched onto his arm and planted her feet firmly to the carpet.

"No! Don't leave me, Inuyasha! You can't leave me! You said you loved me and that we'd be together no matter **what**, now **stay**!" she screamed, stomping her foot.

Inuyasha dropped the bags from the hand she was holding onto and ripped it away from her, flinging her to the ground in the process. He shot her a long glare before reaching to open the front door and picking up his bags once more. And then he was gone, leaving Kagome Higurashi behind in a broken, sobbing heap.

"I'm sorry…" she cried to no one.

* * *

His day had begun normal enough. 

He had risen in the morning, grouchy as usual. He'd showered, dressed, kissed his fiancé goodbye, and then he was off to work. His shift had gone how it usually did.

When he arrived, his boss, who also happened to be his brother, harped on him about being ten minutes late. He had waved him off rudely, snatching up his mug and moving towards the coffee machine. He argued with Kagura about having the last bit of coffee (which was silly because they both knew it would be refilled five minutes later), then stopped by Miroku's office, who attempted to make his morning better with a lewd joke, as he did every day.

"Hey, Inuyasha," he'd said while spinning around in his office chair. "Got one for you."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Miroku's jokes were usually of poor quality. But he liked to humor him anyway.

"Lay it on me," he told his friend dully as he sipped his mug. Miroku stopped spinning, his eyes gleaming playfully as he grinned at Inuyasha.

"Ok, so an old guy is sitting on a bus when a punk rocker gets on. The punk rocker's hair is red, green, yellow and orange. He has feather earrings. When he sees the old man staring at him, the punk rocker says, 'What's the matter, old man? Didn't you ever do anything wild when you were a young guy?' The old guy says in reply, 'Yeah. One time I screwed a parrot. I thought maybe you were my kid,'" Miroku said, grinning all the while.

Inuyasha stared at him over the rim of his mug for a moment before he nearly choked on his coffee laughing. Miroku smiled.

"Ha, I finally got you to laugh," he said. Inuyasha nodded.

"For a first…" he told him as he turned to leave the office. He should have known then that something was amiss.

He had gone home after his twelve-hour shift was over, and it wasn't until he'd pulled into the driveway of his home that he'd realized something didn't _feel_ right. And as he'd climbed the porch steps to his house, things in his stomach began to move, and his skin began to crawl, his heart rate increased in the most foreboding feeling he'd had since he'd stolen his brother's car as a teenager.

He took a deep breath as he steadied his hand on the doorknob and then twisted. He pulled the door open to find darkness… and everything was eerily quiet. He'd crept into the kitchen, through the dining room with a predator's ease, all his senses on high alert.

No, he didn't smell anything burning… he didn't see anything broken or missing… he didn't hear Kagome crying… Everything seemed alright. He stopped in the doorway to his living room, calling out to his fiancé.

"Ka--" he began, but then he noticed a single garment on the floor, next to the stairs. Already knowing what it was, he stalked over to the pair of panties, lifting them with a single finger and finding them in a dampened state.

He dropped them and with shock written on his face, began ascending the stairs, which were littered in clothing. He growled as he kicked his bedroom door open to find his fiancé, _his_ Kagome, writhing and mewling out sounds of intense pleasure, kissing and breathing heavily beneath someone that was not him.

"Kouga, you bastard!" he'd hollered as the man flung himself away from her. She cried out in surprise and reached for something to cover up her nude state but could not find anything on the bare floor (in their haste they had not made it to the bed).

"Calm down, Inu-kuro. Let's talk about this in an adult manner," Kouga said in a surprisingly calm voice.

But Inuyasha had only become more enraged at seeing the love-bites left on his arch-enemy's neck, and lips that were still red and swollen smirking in their usual cocky manner.

"Only talking that's gonna' be goin' on here is you calling for your own ambulance, you crooked bastard!" Inuyasha shouted as he lunged for Kouga. But Kouga always was faster than Inuyasha. He dove under the arms reaching for him and without looking back at Kagome, dashed out of the room and down the stairs, snatching up his clothing as he went.

Kagome had remained quiet for quite some time, her dreary, brown eyes staring at the ground as she felt angry, violet ones glare into her. All he did was glare; he could do nothing else. Well, that wasn't entirely true.

With a shake of his head, he'd gone to his closet and began to pack his things. Kagome left the room to retrieve her clothing. When she'd returned, most of his bags were already packed.

* * *

Now here he stood on someone else's porch, his hand poised at the doorknob, but not quite touching it. It had begun to rain on the drive over, and now he was sopping wet. 

His hair was plastered to the sides of his pale face and neck, tiny droplets clung to his long and dark eyelashes like dew, and his T-shirt became transparent, sticking to his firm abdomen and chest like a second skin.

He was frozen there, had been for the past twenty minutes. His breathing was heavy and labored, as if the rain had soaked up all the oxygen. He licked his lips indecisively, wiping away the cold precipitation that had gathered there. His hand stayed poised above the doorknob, reaching, but still not touching. And when it began to twist of its own accord, he blinked in surprise.

The door was snatched open by someone on the other side and the most pregnant pause ensued as he stared into a pair of eyes he hadn't seen for a whole year. And suddenly, he was engulfed in warmth as arms were thrown around him. And he clung onto it for dear life and his eyes drifted closed slowly as breath warmed his ear in a voice he had been missing for some time.

"Oh, Inuyasha…"


	3. Eight

When Sango was eight, she got into a fight.

* * *

"I am _very_ disappointed in you, Sango," the young girl's mother admonished as she lead her into the house by the hand. Sango hung her head low as they entered the bathroom. 

"I know, mama," she replied sadly. Her mother kneeled to pick her up and plopped her onto the toilet.

"Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into you! This is the third time in two months that I've had to come out of work early and get you from school for misbehaving. But even the first two times were not as bad as this. Just look at you," she complained.

Sango looked herself over, starting with her palms, which were scratched up and smeared with dried blood and grime. Her knees were in very much the same condition. Her uniform shirt was missing two buttons and was torn in various places. She had four long scratches trailing down her left arm. Her chin had a trace of dried blood on it from her split lip and her forehead stung from the gash on it. Her left cheek also bore a gash and under her right eye was a quickly forming bruise.

And as if to top it all off, what had once been a very neat and pretty ponytail was now askew and very ragged. Strands that escaped flopped down over her face and into her eyes. She blew them out of her face and looked up at her mother with a bright smile.

"It was a good fight, mama," she said, her tiny voice filled with glee. Mr. Tsukimoto frowned, jerking her daughter's chin forward to clean if off.

"There **are** no good fights, Sango. You should not fight, as I've told you before," she said sternly. The girl's smile wavered as she nodded, her doe-like eyes guilty as she looked off to the side.

"Yes, mama. I'm sorry," she said forlornly. She hated giving her mother more grief than she already had. Ms. Tsukimoto sighed.

"Why were you fighting the other student anyway?" she asked as she began to clean her daughter's knees and hands.

"Because, he-"

"He? You fought a **boy**, Sango?" interrupted Ms. Tsukimoto, her head snapping up to look at her daughter, who nodded.

"Yes, I did. He was teasing me," she explained.

"What did he say?" she asked the little girl tentatively. Sango looked upward as if in thought.

"Well, he teased me because I couldn't jump rope like the other girls," she said. Her mother's frown deepened.

"Is that all, Sango? That is no reason for a physical fight," she scolded. Sango shook her head.

"**And** he said Inuyasha was my boyfriend. And he talked about Inuyasha because he's only half a demon. Called him a dirty mutt and a dog turd, too. Inuyasha wasn't at school today so I **had** to say something," she said with a nod. Her mother shook her head as she put a bandage on Sango's forehead.

"That is still no reason to fight him, Sango. I understand that Inuyasha is your friend, but you have to learn to just... ignore some things people say," she told her.

"But that isn't all, mama! He teased me because I only have a mom and no dad! He talked about papa leaving us!" she told her mother earnestly.

Her mother froze for a moment while re-tying Sango's shoes before she looked up at her, her face softening as she sighed. She leaned forward to embrace her child, and Sango's eyes began to water as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Oh, my baby. Bless your little heart. Things will get better, you'll see," she whispered into her hair soothingly, the fight at school forgotten as she consoled her.

"I know, mother," Sango replied, rubbing her mother's back in return. Ms. Tsukimoto smiled softly to herself. For someone so young, Sango had a wise head and a good sense of honor. She was the one who had been in the altercation, yet here she was, comforting her mother. Such a big heart in such a little person.

"Are you hungry, love?" she asked Sango as she pulled away from her. Sango nodded, opening her mouth to tell her something when the doorbell rang. Her mother rose to stand and began to put the medicinal things away and Sango hopped down from the toilet.

"Go to your room and play, Sango. I'll answer the door and then I'll bring you something to eat," she told her. Sango nodded.

"Yes, mama," she said as she ran out the door and down the hallway to her room.

She took a new puzzle down from the shelf above her bed and sat down on the ground. She dumped all the pieces out eagerly and was in the process of turning them all over to the colored side when her door opened. She looked up and then sighed before setting about her puzzle once more.

"Don't you ever knock, Inuyasha?" she asked him. He shrugged as he closed the door and sat down cross-legged beside her.

"I rang the doorbell, didn't I? That's enough," he replied.

"Why weren't you in school today? We were learning how to multiply," she told him as she began to apply the boarder. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Then I'm glad I wasn't there. I hate math!" he said to her. She glanced up at him momentarily before returning to her puzzle.

"So? You hate everything we do in school," she replied.

"Nuh Unh! I don't hate everything!" he shouted in protest. Then he grinned. "I like lunch." Sango shook her head.

"How did you know I came home from school early?" she asked him curiously. He fidgeted nervously.

"I was walking past the window when I saw your mom's car pull up," he lied. He had been sitting there for hours waiting for her to come home from school. Imagine his surprise when she arrived three hours early.

"Hey," he called out suddenly, leaning closer to her, "what happened to your ugly face?"

Then he scented the air, sniffing at her injuries. She scowled as she squirmed away from him a little.

"You're taking up my space," she complained. But he ignored her, scooting even closer to smell her again.

"You smell like that jerk from school. Kouga. What did you do?" he asked her suspiciously. He didn't like the way this looked. Sango sighed, preparing herself for the onslaught that was sure to come flying out of his tiny mouth.

"I had a fight with him, Inuyasha," she explained.

"_**What**?_" he shrieked. She immediately clamped a hand down on his mouth.

"Keep quiet! My mama's already mad at me for it; I don't want her to think I'm bragging about it," she whispered. When she removed her hand, Inuyasha frowned.

"It's just like him to wait til' I missed school to attack you," he growled. Sango shook her head, her ragged ponytail swaying as she did so.

"I hit him first," she told him. He scowled at her then shrugged his shoulders.

"So? He ain't got no right hittin' no girl. Especially not you," he told her gruffly. She looked at him, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"But you and me fight when we get mad at each other," she told him. He glared at her.

"Are you on his side or somethin'?" he snapped. She shook her head quickly.

"Then shut up. He shouldn't have hit ya' and that's all there is to it," he said matter-of-factly. Sango grinned suddenly, a mischievous glint in her large, russet eyes.

"Yeah, but you shoulda' seen what I did to him," she laughed. Inuyasha leaned in close as she began to describe in detail how she worked him over. About two minutes later, he was clutching his sides laughing.

"And look," she said as she reached into one of her whiteknee-highs to pull something out. Upon further inspection, he found it to be a wad of brown hair.

"Look what I got," she said proudly as it dangled from her fingertips, "I pulled it out when we were fighting." Inuyasha grimaced.

"Ugh, that's nasty, Sango. Why'd you keep it?" he asked her. She lifted it up to her face to examine it closer before she shrugged then threw it behind her.

"Dunno. I wanted to show you, I guess. Thought maybe we could make a doll out of it and hurt him like they do on T.V," she said as she went back to her jigsaw.

"Why were y'all fightin' anyway? That piece goes there," he said, picking up a puzzle piece. Sango smacked his hand, making him drop it. She ignored the glare he sent her way.

"'Cause he said me and you were boyfriend and girlfriend then he called you a dog turd and a mutt so I hit him in his mouth," she said simply. He looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"You beat him up 'cause of me?" he asked her. She shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so. But not just 'cause of you. He talked about my papa. He teased me 'cause my mom's got two kids and no husband. Nobody talks 'bout my mama," she said with a nod.

"Damn straight," agreed Inuyasha with a smack of his fist. Sango looked up at him questioningly, causing him to blush. He began to shake his head profusely.

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that!" he said holding his hands up in defense. Sango sighed.

"How come you always turn red when we talk about my mom?" she asked him. He scoffed indignantly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I do not! I don't know what you're talking about," he said to her.

"Ow!" proclaimed Sango. He looked at her to see she had been prodding at the deep purple splotch underneath her right eye.

"Stop that!" he hollered at her, reaching over to swat her hand away from her face, "You'll make it spread!"

"How do you know?" she asked him snippily, lowering her hand.

"My mom told me," he said. Then he grinned, cocking his chin upward arrogantly.

"Don't worry, Sango. I'm gonna' get Kouga for you," he told her haughtily. His grin faltered, though, when she laughed at him.

"I won, dookie-head! I don't need you to get him for me," she said with a shake of her head. Inuyasha frowned.

"Well then, I'm just gonna' get him anyway, 'k?" he snapped at her.

"Can one of you children open the door, please? I have a tray in my hands," came Ms. Tsukimoto's voice from behind the door. Inuyasha scrambled to his feet hurriedly and rushed to open the door. Ms. Tsukimoto smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank-you, Inuyasha," she said sweetly. He looked down at the floor bashfully as he moved aside to let her in the room.

"You're welcome, Ms. Tsukimoto," he mumbled, his chubby cheeks ruddy with embarrassment. She bent down to place the tray of food beside Sango's puzzle on the floor.

"Here, you are, Sango. I made you some curry bread, steamed carrots and buttered rice, and a few egg rolls. There's also some candied fruits for dessert," she told Sango as she reached over to ruffle her tousled hair. Then she turned to smile at Inuyasha.

"Come now, little Inu. There's enough for you here, also. I know you are hungry," she told him as she motioned him over. His ears perked in delight as he came to sit next to Sango.

"Many thanks, Ms. Tsukimoto," he said with a light bow of appreciation (just as his mother had taught him) before he proceeded to stuff his face with his bare hands.

Sango's mother only laughed as she stood, not at all put off by his meal manners. She was far too used to them to be offended. Sango, on the other hand, was perfectly polite, using her chopsticks and chewing with her mouth closed. That is, until her mother closed the door as she left.

The two children looked up at each other, an unspoken challenge burning in both pairs of eyes. Without a single word, the two of them tore into their meals as an all-out pig-fest ensued. Food flew everywhere; carrots on the wall, rice in their shirts. It was ugly. Within seconds, a winner was drawn as Inuyasha chugged his tea then slammed the cup back onto the tray.

"Done!" he declared as he threw his fists into the air. Sango swallowed her food, a large lump passing down her throat.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. "I almost had you this time." Inuyasha grinned at her.

"Almost ain't good enough, Sango," he said with a wink as he picked a slice of pear from the dish and bit it. Sango sighed, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand as she stared at him sideways.

"I'm gonna' beat you one day, Inuyasha," she mumbled. His reply came in the form of a loud and rather rude belch. Sango smiled and shook her head.

They had come a long way from leaving death threats on each other's porches. One could even say they were best friends. It had been two years since they had met. And for three whole months after he'd told her he was going to eat her, they were at each other's throats.

Of course, they hid it well from their mothers. So of course, their mother's unknowingly forced them to spend time with each other. But when they were alone, they fought like devils. At first, Sango had been afraid of Inuyasha, being as he was half-demon and all. But that soon fell to pieces when she found out he was more bark than bite. Though they did have their share of fist fights, he'd never seriously hurt her. One particular incident changed their whole relationship.

During one of their many "fights to the death", he'd punched her too hard and busted her nose. Blood spurted everywhere and she went down with a loud thud. Immediately, he was sorry and he ran over to her and fretted over her worriedly as he helped her to stand. But Sango didn't even cry. She didn't say anything as she stared down at her bloodstained shirt.

Hearing the loud noise of Sango hitting the floor, Ms. Tsukimoto rushed up the stairs to check on the two. When she opened the door, she gasped and hurried over to Sango, grabbing her shoulders and demanding to know what happened. Inuyasha was beyond terrified by then and he swallowed audibly as he waited for her to spill the beans. But she just shrugged, scratching the back of her head embarrassedly as she gave her mom a bright smile.

"We were playing tag, mama. Inuyasha was chasing me and I ran into my desk," she laughed. Her mother looked at Inuyasha warily for a moment before looking at Sango again.

"Are you sure, Sango? Are you sure that's what happened?" she asked her slowly. Sango nodded, lifting her hand to wipe at the blood oozing down her top lip with her wrist. Ms. Tsukimoto looked at Inuyasha one last time before she sighed, picking Sango up and walking towards the door.

"Come on, clumsy girl. Let's get you cleaned up," she told her daughter as they crossed the room. Sango looked over her mother's shoulder at the lone boy, their eyes meeting briefly before she was carried out of the room. The next day, Inuyasha came to her door with a single flower in his tiny fist. They'd been close ever since.

Inuyasha looked over at the brown-eyed girl as she chattered on to herself while putting her puzzle together and grinned to himself.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he was going to kick Kouga's ass.

* * *

**AN**: Sorry about the delay. I'm gonna try and update twice a month. I know it isn't much, but it's what I can do for now, guys. 

Reviewers:

**dudei'mlikesobus**: Ah, my first reviewer! Many thanks. :bows humbly: I can't tell you who it is! It'll ruin the thrill of the read. ;) And a VERY belated Happy New Year's to you.

**danielle:** Thank you, I'm glad you loved it! I aims to please...

**Curious-George5498**: I LOVED your review! Shit, it's better than the story, lol. It was very witty and cute. I loved it. I don't think I've ever gotten a review like that before... Very original. As for your question... :shrugs: beats me. I find it very odd that I only have six reviews and over 200 people have read it. It's okay though. I don't want to pester people to review as I've done in my other stories. If they think it's good, they'll tell me. If they don't, well then, who needs them, right?

**Youkai Hime90: **Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :laughs: Yeah, it's not a very original line, but I've never heard a seven year old say that, have you? I thought it'd be kinda' funny. If you laughed, then I guess I've succeeded.

**Saiyan God:** Thank you for the compliment. Ah, I can't tell you that! You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out! I hope this update was quick enough for you.


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